The present invention relates to an improved clutch unit for high-hat cymbals, and more particularly relates to an improvement in construction of a clutch unit used for operating an upper cymbal plate to assure easier performance.
In general, a high-hat cymbal includes a pair of cooperating cymbals, i.e. upper and lower cymbal plates. The lower cymbal is secured atop an upright tubular post supported by a tripod and the upper cymbal plate is coupled via a clutch unit to the top part of an extension rod running idly through the tubular post. The extension rod is always urged to move upwards by a proper elastic urging means such as a spring and is accompanied at its lower end with a foot pedal which effects up-and-down movement of the extension rod.
The clutch unit is attached to the top part of the extension rod in order to cause engagement and disengagement of the upper cymbal plate and the extension rod. More specifically, the clutch unit includes a holder inserted over the top part of the extension rod and secured thereto by means of a fastener nut. On the side opposite to the fastener nut, a clutch lever is pivoted to the holder via a horizontal pin and extends substantially vertically. The clutch lever is provided at its lower end with a hook. A spring is attached to the holder to urge the hook of the clutch lever to move towards the extension rod.
At a position below the holder, a clutch bolt is idly inserted over the extension rod. This clutch bolt is made up of an uppermost conical head, an intermediate cylindrical body and a lowermost threaded part delimited from the intermediate cylindrical body by a step. The hook of the clutch lever is usually kept in engagement with the step on the clutch bolt. A clutch nut is screwed over the lower part of the clutch bolt and a pair of cushions and inserted over the clutch bolt sandwiching the upper cymbal plate above the clutch nut. A pair of lock nuts are screwed over the lowermost threaded part of the clutch bolt to keep the cushions in pressure contact with the upper cymbal plate.
When a stick is swung horizontally to strike the top part of the clutch lever towards the extension rod, the clutch lever swings on the holder to disengage its lower end hook from the step on the clutch bolt which thereupon falls to cause percussive contact of the upper cymbal plate with the lower cymbal plate.
After striking by the stick, the clutch lever tends to resume its usual position due to a force by the spring and the bottom hook rides on the conical head of the clutch bolt. For separation of the cymbal plates, the pedal is stepped by the player and the extension rod is forced to move downwards with the holder secured thereto. The bottom hook of the clutch lever slides down on the conical head of the clutch bolt and finally come into engagement with the step on the clutch bolt. As the step on the pedal is then removed, the extension rod automatically moves upwards due to the spring force and, via the resumed engagement, the clutch lever moves the upper cymbal plate out of contact with the lower cymbal plate. Briefly horizontal striking of the clutch lever by the stick causes the percussive contact of the cymbal plates whereas step on the pedal causes separation of the cymbal plates.
In the above-described procedure, it is necessary to strike the clutch lever by swinging the stick horizontally to mechanically disconnect the upper cymbal plate from the extension rod. This swing direction of the stick is quite different from those during normal performance. Such a dual mode of swing action often tends to smooth performance of the high-hat cymbal.